Thomas Comes to Breakfast
Thomas Comes to Breakfast is the eighteenth episode of the second season. In the US, this episode first aired on the Shining Time Station episode Two Old Hands in 1989 and then later, Nickel in a Pickle in 1991. Plot Thomas' driver jokes that Thomas could almost run his branch line without him. Thomas does not realize he is joking though and becomes conceited. He brags to Percy and Toby later at the sheds and both tell Thomas that he needs a driver, but to no avail. The next morning, a fire lighter comes and starts up the engines' fires. Thomas wakes up as the warmth spreads through his boiler and then realizes his opportunity to run by himself and prove Percy and Toby wrong by stopping and wheeshing in front of them. Thomas slowly starts moving along the track, but does not realize he is only moving because a careless cleaner has fiddled with his controls. Thomas quickly finds his mistake and tries to stop, but he could not without his driver. At the end of the tracks sits the stationmaster's house. Thomas crashes through the end buffers, the fence and the front window just as the family is sitting down to breakfast. The house rocks and shattered plaster and glass are everywhere. Both the stationmaster and his wife are angry at Thomas for crashing into their house and ruining their breakfast in the process. The stationmaster's wife bangs the door to the dining room, causing more plaster to fall on Thomas who feels depressed. After workmen lay rails through the garden, Donald and Douglas arrive and pull Thomas free of the house. Thomas' front has been badly damaged by the impact and he is in disgrace. Back at the shed, the Fat Controller scolds Thomas for his actions and sends him to the Works to be mended, but for a long time. As a result, a diesel railcar is going to be brought in to run his branch line and informs him that diesels always stay in the sheds unless wanted and never crash into stationmaster's houses. Characters * Thomas * Percy * Toby * Donald and Douglas * Sir Topham Hatt * The Ffarquhar Stationmaster's Wife * The Careless Cleaner (does not speak) * The Ffarquhar Stationmaster (does not speak) * Annie and Clarabel (cameo) * Bridget Hatt (cameo) * Mrs. Kyndley (cameo) * The Ffarquhar Stationmaster's Children (cameo) * Earnest (portrait cameo) * The Firelighter (mentioned) * Daisy (not named; mentioned) Locations * Tidmouth * The Windmill * Ffarquhar Sheds * The Ffarquhar Stationmaster's House * The Watermill * The Works (mentioned) Trivia * This episode is based on the story of the same name from The Railway Series book, Branch Line Engines. * Stock footage from Thomas and the Guard is used as well as a deleted scene from Thomas, Percy and the Coal. * A foreshadow to Daisy is made. * A portrait of Earnest, a Victorian-style steam engine depicted with a moustache can be seen in the Ffarquhar Stationmaster's house. * Footage of the episode was used as a reference to the original story read aloud by Christopher Awdry in the exclusive YouTube documentary 70 Years of Friendship. Christopher also stated that this was one of his favourite stories. * A large scale model of Thomas was used for the scenes inside of the house. * When the narrator says "The stationmaster was furious!" the wall set-up behind the stationmaster is different in the restored version. * In George Carlin's US narration, when the stationmaster's wife shouts "Now I shall have to cook some more!" the sound of the door being banged sounds quieter than in the other dubs for this episode. * The cereal box that the stationmaster's son is holding is a recreation of Kellogg's Corn Flakes. * This marks the only time in the television series that shows Thomas without a lamp to date. * When Donald and Douglas arrived to help Thomas, the narrator says "Meanwhile, Donald and Douglas arrived in the UK version. However, in both US narrations, the line was changed to "Then the Scottish twin engines Donald and Douglas arrived," likely due to the fact that this episode aired before the second season episode, Donald and Douglas in the US and so that the viewers in the US would know who they are. * When the Fat Controller scolds Thomas when he returns to the sheds, he says "You are a very naughty engine" in a firm voice in the UK. However, in both US narrations, he says "You're in a lot of trouble, Thomas" in a calm voice. The change was likely made because many viewers in the US would not understand how Thomas would be told off for an incident that wasn't his fault, making it seem as if The Fat Controller had possible trust issues with Thomas. * Bridget Hatt is one of the Ffarquhar stationmaster's children. * The events of this episode were mentioned by James in Journey Beyond Sodor. Goofs * In the US, this episode aired before the first season episode, Toby the Tram Engine and the second season episode, Donald and Douglas, meaning that viewers in the US would not know who Toby, Donald, and Douglas are. * Clarabel is facing the wrong way and her roof is lifted when Thomas comes into Tidmouth. * When the narrator says that Thomas had become conceited, Thomas actually appears to be sad. * When Percy and Toby are asleep, Toby is tilted to the left. * In the close-up of Toby sleeping, his windows are open slightly, but in the wider shot of the three engines in the shed, Toby's right window (viewer perspective) is completely open. It is then again slightly open when Thomas is rolling out of the shed. * Just after Thomas finds that he cannot stop, he passes a station building on his left, but in the next shot, he has not passed it yet. * In the shots from Thomas' perspective before he runs into the house, the tracks on the right all seem to end abruptly at a wall (the wall is presumably there to hide the edge of the set). * Just before Thomas crashes into the house, the window did not have glass in the frame. * As Thomas crashes into the house, his wheels do not move, even as he is being pulled out of the house. * In the interior shots of the house, the people are almost as big as Thomas due to the fact that their large scale models were used. * When Thomas is rescued, a bush is lying on his buffer beam, but when the Fat Controller is talking to him, the bush seems to have become larger. * When Donald and Douglas pull Thomas out of the house, he is wearing his lamp. In the close-up of Thomas' front, the lamp has disappeared. * In a close-up of Thomas' driver, he is clean shaven, but in some non close-ups, he has a beard. * When Thomas is pulled away from the house, he looks unharmed. However, in the next shot, a bush suddenly appears on his suddenly damaged buffer beam and his head lamp vanishes. * It is clear to see that a bent buffer beam has been placed on top of Thomas' own when it is damaged. * When Thomas says "Silly stick-in-the-muds!" the sheds and the engines are all arranged facing the wrong way. * During the close-up of Percy looking cross, Donald's tender is seen in the background; because of that, this episode was recorded during the second season episode, Break Van/Donald and Douglas, where Donald's tender was still jammed in the signal box. However, later in the episode, Donald appears with his tender intact. * In the close-ups of the Fat Controller, the faded marks of where a smile had been are visible behind his frown. * The Portuguese and Spanish dubs credit George Carlin as the narrator, even though it was redubbed. * Thomas' eyes are off-centre from each other throughout the majority of the episode. * The narrator says the stationmaster was furious, but he looks very sad. * In George Carlin's US narration, he does not provide a muffled voice when Thomas speaks behind his bush. * The two bits of clay used to simulate Thomas' half-open eyelids are badly put on, so viewers can see some gaps in his eyelids. * When Thomas finds that he cannot stop, his lamp is not placed on correctly. * In the Japanese version, Ringo Starr's narrative can be faintly heard throughout the episode. Merchandise * Wooden Railway - Thomas Comes to Breakfast Accessory Pack and Thomas Comes to Breakfast version of Thomas (discontinued) * Plarail - The Ffarquhar Stationmaster's House * Minis - Breakfast Thomas * Books - Thomas Comes to Breakfast and Breakfast-Time for Thomas * Buzz Books - Thomas Comes to Breakfast * Railway Series Books - Thomas Comes to Breakfast * Ladybird Books - Thomas Comes to Breakfast and BoCo the Diseasel * Pop-Up Books - Trouble on the Tracks * Engine Adventures - Thomas Goes Crash! Home Media Releases Episode File:Thomas Comes to Breakfast - British Narration|UK Narration File:Thomas Comes to Breakfast-Ringo Starr American Narration|Ringo Starr US Narration File:Thomas Comes to Breakfast - US (Restored) George Carlin|George Carlin US Narration es:La Visita de Thomas pl:Tomek Wpada na Śniadanie Category:Season 2 episodes Category:Episodes Category:The Railway Series adaptations